The Future of an Unsteady Past Chapt 1
by VanillAme
Summary: Edward and Alphonse return to the city of Lior, to find its occupants obliterated. In an incomprehensible state of remorse, the Elric brothers are vulnerable to the attack of the Homunculus. On the brink of death, the boys are rescued by the military and


**Fullmetal Alchemist**

**Chapter 1:Shaken, not stirred.**

**Edward Elric:**

Edward and Alphonse Elric walked down the long, shady path towards Lior. The path had become overgrown with large willow trees, covering the travellers from the clouded sky. Although situated near the desert, the weather became unsteady and dark. Edward knew that the weather was the work of something unnatural, and immoral – something happening in the vicinity of Liore, which he had to uncover. It had been two years since they last visited, when all the commotion began with the Homunculus. It was there that Edward had first seen her face – the face that would plague him in the years that would follow. Edward had always wondered why she had first shown up; her and her fiends. He always thought that the search for the philosopher's stone might come with some consequences, but he had never once thought that another 'human' predestined their search. Or 'Homunculus'.

As they walked, Edward glanced upwards towards his younger brother. He laughed to himself. _I'm looking UP at my younger brother. How lame._ Thinking about their height difference, he let out a loud sigh. He knew that even though his brother was a large walking suit of armour, he would still have been taller than Edward in his human form. Edward stopped in his tracks. _NEVER EVER SAY THAT AGAIN BRAIN! _He puffed and panted, letting his anger at himself subside, before noticing Alphonse looking down at him.

"What's wrong brother?" Al asked him in his small, diminutive voice. Edward knew that if his brother were back in his own flesh and blood, a worried look would appear on his face. A small flourish of relief swept over Edward – if Al was human, he'd have that look permanently set on his face; and Ed didn't want that.

"Oh, nothing Al. I was just thinking about how long it's been since we were here. You think the people will still be angry at us or foiling their priest's identity?" Edward sniggered, almost relishing in the population's suffering. Alphonse moaned quietly.

"I don't want to be beaten up again brother. Or have my head blown off. It really hurts." He rubbed the back of his head stressfully, and Ed laughed uncomfortably.

"Don't worry Al. I'm sure they're over the blowing our heads off stage." Edward laughed again, before hearing the sound of a gunshot. He looked down to see Al's helmet on the gravel beneath him. He looked behind them and saw Rose, the woman they met at Lior during their last visit. Edward went to smile, but gasped when he saw her appearance – she was drenched in blood, cuts, bruises and open wounds devouring her flesh. Edward stepped backwards, shock and fear trembling through all the muscles and bones in his body. _Oh my god…what have we done?_

Still in his state of shock, Edward was barely able to pick up Alphonse's Helmet and reattach it to his armour. Rose's expressionless face remained unchanged, as she fired off another unexpected shot. However, not aimed at Alphonse, the bullet pierced Edward's left shoulder, creating a spray of blood, and a flow of trickling liquid that appeared unremorseful to Edward's searing pain. His face contorted as he fell forward, the shock of the blow sinking into him slower than the bullet that entered his flesh.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried, running over to Edward to help him. Edward looked up, still wincing with the pain of his wound, watching his attacker for a sign of emotion. However, Rose's expression did not present remorse or grief for her victim - her face was tormented by the pain and grief of another tragedy which Edward had placed upon her. Edward held back tears, afraid of the damage he had caused to the town belonging to Rose. He staggered to his feet, holding his shoulder with his metallic hand, trying to understand the mess he had created.

"Rose…" he began, unable to find the words to comprehend the obvious disaster which struck the area. "Rose… what happened?" Edward whispered, still powerless to articulate his emotions and remorseful thoughts.

Edward stood with his head shamefully staring at the path beneath him; scared of the emotion he would see spread across her face. However, no words were spoken, and he slowly lifted his head to see her figure convulsing slightly as she stood. Tears began to fall from her ashen face, dampening the ground and suiting the weather surrounding them. The air had quickly grown damp and clammy, with slight drops of rain teetering past them. Edward winced again in pain; however, the pain was from the sight of the hurt woman before him, not from the wound that she bestowed upon him. He remembered his last words to her. _You have a good set of legs, Rose. It's time you got up and used them._ The memory stabbed him sharply, the harshness of his words only apparent to Edward now. He understood the anger and hatred she felt for him, although he was unsure of their exact origin. Had Lust and the other Homunculi returned to Lior to tear it down? He burst to ask her all the questions, which interrupted his mind, but his thoughts were disturbed by the voice of his brother.

"Rose… what happened to Lior?" Alphonse asked in his soft voice; however, Edward knew that Al's voice was gentle for a different reason other than his tender age. Rose looked up at Alphonse, all the hatred and anger replaced with remorse and utter misery as whimpered an almost incomprehensible response. "Lior… is gone… everyone…dead…Cornell… destroyed us. There's nothing left." He sobs reached their peak as she flourished into another cluster of tears. Alphonse turned to his older brother, wondering what they could do to make things right. However, as Alphonse turned, Edward walked passed where he and Rose sat. Edward strode down the path, determined to discover for himself the extent of Rose's claims.

Edward's mouth flung open as he slowly entered Lior. Step by step, his shock and anger built up inside him, as he saw the true devastation of their previous actions. _That Bd._ Edward's thoughts soon became more articulate, as he yelled and swore at all the destruction around him. As he walked through the desolate town, he kicked away partial debris in search of something he recognised – an object, a face, a memory. As he continued through the area, he spotted the bar he and Alphonse first met Rose. A tear trickled down his cheek, which Edward quickly disregarded with a swift movement of his sleeve. Out of the corner of his eye, Edward jumped backwards as he saw the motionless body of the barkeep. The damage to his body and the torment that was his last memory remained struck on his face - an expression of shock, betrayal and fear intertwined into one emotion. Edward began to notice the bodies of other townspeople, all with the same expression on their faces. Edward began to shake – he knew who had caused all the pain and destruction in Lior, and he was determined to make them pay.

Until then, Edward tried to make up for his previous misdeeds by fixing up the town of Lior. Bright blue flickers of electricity and sparks flew from all different directions bathing Edward in a blue light, which lasted only a few seconds and had the power to reconstruct old objects. Edward fixed all the buildings, furniture and public monuments he could find. He came to his the last building of the town when he heard Alphonse's footsteps behind him.

"Brother…" Al whispered, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder, urging him both with encouragement and warning. Edward hesitated before twisting the handle of door and entering the old house. The building consisted of only one room, with a large opening in the sidewall to serve as a window. The room was increasingly dark, making objects unidentifiable to Edward and Alphonse. Alphonse quickly constructed an Alchemy array on the sidewall, allowing him to fix the electricity of the house. He placed his hands on the circle and an orange light filled the room. When the light had dispersed, Edward and Alphonse were sickened by the sight that lay before them. Tables were set up at the south side of the room, serving as a barricade from outside forces, however the barricade did not seem to achieve it's purpose. The bodies of seven children, aged between eight and twelve, lay on the floor. The wounds inflicted on them seemed torturous – pieces of flesh missing, limbs, bones, and organs exposed. Edward flung his head out of the window to rid himself of the sickening feeling within him. He knew that Alphonse was thinking the same thing that he was – _These children aren't much younger than us. They didn't have a chance._

Edward and Alphonse were so involved in the chaos in front of them that they did not hear Rose arrive at the doorway of the building.

"I tried…" she whispered, still shaking emotionally. "I tried so hard to stop them… they said we needed to be punished for our sins against father Cornello… he destroyed us… and them." Her eyes glistened with new tears as she looked down at the immobile bodies of the infants. "I tired to make them stop. They told me that it was a sin of God to hide the children from the Lord's work. So they killed them. They told me…" she sniffed, trying to articulate her thoughts before she exploded with the impending emotional explosion boiled up inside her. "They told me that I was allowed to live, to warn those who try to oppose the Lord." She trembled from the memory, trying to calm herself down. She breathed in and out slowly, attempting to continue with her explanation. Alphonse started to walk towards her, which made her more frightened and making her jump back with fear. "They told me to tell Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, that this is what happens when he interrupts _their_ work." She looked up at Edward, spite and hatred reappearing in her eyes. A grimace struck her face, making her body language change from an emotional to an aggressive nature. The gun was still positioned firmly in her hand, as she tightened her hold on its handle. Alphonse stood defiantly in front of Edward, protecting him from any further bullets, which Rose might intend to plunge into his skin. Edward had forgotten the wound that he had obtained earlier. The remembrance of the event flared up a new sensation of pain; one that Edward had grown used to. While Alphonse stood in front of him, trying to coax Rose into handing over of her weapon, Edward wrapped his jacket around his shoulder to try and stop the bleeding, as well as any further damage from occurring his wound. As Edward bandaged his arm, he glanced over at the children, understanding the pain Rose was suffering. Not only was she the protector of these infants, but she also had to endure the grief of losing everyone she knew. Edward remembered the sadness he and Al felt when their mum left them; nothing could fix that pain, he reflected, other than seeing her face again. The memory of that night, the night of forbidden transmutation, had burned an eternal hole into his mind, a hole that neither time nor space could mend. The concept of losing someone dear was very familiar to Edward and Alphonse; even the idea of losing Winry, or Aunt Pinako, or any of their military friends, seemed incomprehensible. Edward wished he could reverse the destruction of the city – somehow bring back all that was lost, and renew the hope and vitality that once glistened in the seemingly prosperous desert town. Edward knew what he had to do, but he didn't know yet how to do it.

**Alphonse Elric:**

To gain something, something of equal value must be lost. This is the law of equivalent Trade.

"Brother…?" I asked, trying to tap into his mind, interpreting his thoughts and emotions to determine the actions he would take. Most people would interpret a person's action to determine their thoughts and feelings, but the bond between my brother and I went beyond that. Although we are only young, we have a connection that goes beyond blood or relation or any other form of relationship one could have. Ed and I have the kind of bond one has with someone when they go through a life changing experience, which binds their souls together; in our case, a life-changing experience, which binds my soul to a suit of armour, and Ed's right arm and left leg to Auto-mail. Our actions on that night were unspeakable, however no one is willing to tell us except Sensei. The consequences of our attempts of human transmutation outweigh the actual attempts – and everyone stays clear of asking us about that night. Which, in our case, is probably a good thing. My brother is very touchy about the events that lead us on our path, but then again, no one can blame him. His whole life; both our lives, have been shaped by the consequences following that night.

"Brother… what are we going to do now?" It must be tough for brother. He is the elder Elric brother – the Fullmetal Alchemist, perhaps the most powerful, and well known, Alchemist around. However, it must be tough for brother - being mistaken for his younger brother. I guess I feel honoured being mistaken for my brother; he has the fame, the glory, the power - and I still have to use an alchemy array while he is well evolved beyond the alchemic circle. However, I wouldn't trade places with anyone I can think of; the love and connection with my brother is something that can never be exchanged.

Edward looked at me, as though accepting my thoughts within his own, before answering my question. "I don't know how," he replied slowly, "but I'm going to somehow… fix everything. I'll make it all right." Brother bowed his head solemnly, again in deep thought. I looked at Rose for a response, any reaction to my brother's determination to fix what has happened.

Her back stiffened in the silence, waiting for more to be said or done. I looked between her and Brother, aware that she was waiting for him to perform alchemy, something that would reverse all the destruction executed in Lior – but Edward just sat there, lost in the thoughts of his mind. I tried to interpret the ideas conjured up in his head, but they were too complex for my hollow cranium. Instead, I sat down next to him, drawing up a small alchemy array to create a new wooden chair. It wasn't much, however I offered it to Rose to ease her aching body. Her frame had grown more fragile and timid since we had last seen her – the result of war and tragedy that had struck her unexpectedly. The reasonably outspoken and faithful Rose had vanished, replaced by a saddened and pathetic looking woman. I understood now that she had truly lost everything. I remember our first visit to Lior; Rose had lost her boyfriend, who was her last remaining hope in the world. She had no family, no loved one to give her solace or keep her warm from the cold and empty darkness that had begun to devour her heart. The only motivation she had to wake up in the morning was the unrelenting belief that the local priest could revive her lover – using alchemy to perform the forbidden human transmutation. To gain something, something of equal value must be lost. That is the Law of equivalent exchange; the one and most important rule of Alchemy. Alchemy was based on equivalent exchange – without following this basic principle, consequences do occur; much like ours.

Brother and I tried to explain to Rose the implications of human transmutation, which can be hard to grasp for someone of a none-alchemic background. It seemed a lost cause to try and persuade Rose of the extensive repercussions that human alchemy would have.

When we had left Lior, Rose had finally understood the severity of what we had been attempting to tell her. She was lost in a world of despair and remorse – the hope she had once been filled with had gone; left to another world where she could not follow. The only inspiration she now had was to help revitalise and restore Lior to its full prosperity.

And now that was gone.

I truly pondered over the circumstances now laid before brother and I. _Have we really been the cause of this destruction?_ I found it hard to believe that the devastation of Lior was narrowed down to the likes of Brother and I – however, it wouldn't have been the first time that that was the case.

Edward has been blamed for a lot of misunderstandings and troubles in neighbouring cities. I know that it wasn't his fault; he knows it wasn't his fault; yet it's hard to convince a few hundred people that the reason why they are being overtaxed by pompous military dogs was because the Lieutenants and military officials _were _pompous military dogs. Brother gets blamed a lot for the problems of the military – being a state alchemist sure has its drawbacks.

"Brother, what are you going to do now?" I repeated, allowing him enough time to formulate the plan that would restore Lior. Rose looked up with a small glimmer of hope sparkling in her eyes. I watched Edward intently; marvelling at my brother's ingenious way of preparing plans that enabled not only the birth of a new city, but time and time again re-established the happiness and vitality of a town's population.

"We're going to find Cornell and those Homunculus…things!" He screamed, running out of building into the town square. The weather had quickly deteriorated, and rain began to pour down onto Ed's darkened figure. I watched as he screamed towards the heavens and I felt my metallic heart wrenching with agony. His portrait had quickly vanished from the horizon and I rushed off frantically in search of it. I heard Rose's empty footsteps trailing behind as I ran towards the northern end of Lior, where the temple had once stood. I was amazed to notice that the monument was relatively intact – the building had endured little damage since they had last been there. _Actually… isn't that where brother almost crushed Cornello with the statue?_

I knew that something had happened at the temple, something regarding the town's destruction and the state of the weather; Edward knew too.

Brother stood at the entrance of the large temple, contemplating whether to enter or not. I knew he would, he would look for the answers to all his questions as well as the reasons behind all the pain. However, I also knew that all he would find is an empty shadow of Cornello's being; He who would have long disappeared from the scene of this unforgivable crime. _However, why would he have left in such a hurry? The only apparent survivor is Rose. Who is he hiding from? _

Brother and I both understood the forces behind the attack – the homunculus. Lust, Gluttony, Envy, they were the assailants. Who knew how many more there were of them. Brother stood at the doorway of the building long enough to let his thoughts penetrate through into my own buoyant mind. We both entered together, searching up and down the dimmed halls for any form of life. We remembered the creatures that appeared from within the gloomy rooms; creatures they'd rather not reunite with. However, no life stirred in the frozen monument. Only fear was distilled in its walls.

I heard brother hiss with disappointment. He had wanted to settle the problem straight away, although we both knew that justice took its time. Sensei taught us a lot of things – self-control and patience were important aspects of our learning. Brother understood the need for patience in situations such as these. Righteousness could not be served through hot-headedness and rage; it came from purity of the soul and relaxation of the mind.

Brother walked out of the temple and sat on one of its steps. I walked up behind him, trying to instigate his course of action. When he didn't move, I gave up waiting for any advancement and took a seat beside him. I could hear Rose shuffling behind us, anxious for brother to give her an idea on how he was going to resolve her problem. Not that the problem could really be fixed – all the damage had been done. However Rose and Brother both anticipated revenge for the wrongdoings done onto them and the town of Lior. We all knew that someone was going to pay, but we didn't know yet as to when or how justice was going to be served.

**Winry Rockbell:**

_When are they coming home? It's been a month already! I guess I should be grateful that Ed hasn't broken his automail yet. Or better yet; he hasn't broken Al yet. Those too get into a lot of trouble!_

Winry held the wrench to her head, as though it assisted her in her thoughts. She often thought about her childhood friends, deeply concerned about their wellbeing. Being their mechanic, she received frequent visits from the brothers, to repair fractures in Al's armour or to retune the wires connecting to Ed's nerves. Although she prided in her Automail, Winry always found it difficult to tighten the fittings for Ed's mechanical arm. She hated to see the contorted expression of pain spread across his face, as he yelped or screamed in agony. Although it lasted only a few moments, the sound always haunted Winry for several days to follow, even though she never admitted it to Ed. Winy sighed to herself, wondering when the Elrics would return to visit her and aunt Pinako. Winry tinkered intently with the latest mechanical device she had created. It was a new concoction that would be adjoined to Edward's arm when he returned. The fitting was only small in size – a rectangular box that would be connected to the shoulder blade of the automail. The apparatus would enhance any electrical activity Ed might conjure up – and with his natural talent for alchemic reactions, the force would be awe-inspiring.

However, Winry hadn't been able to simulate any test runs with the machinery - she was afraid that an experiment by Ed could cause fatal damage to either the box or to Ed; so she had kept the gadget hidden, locked under her work bench, tightly sealed so no-one could find it. She constantly pondered over whether she should offer it to Edward, and always decided against it. As she started to close the casing for all the wires and screws that shaped the soul of the device, she heard a gentle knock on the door. Aunt Pinako and Winry hardly received the company of passing neighbours or travellers, which meant that only a small list of possible visitors could be applicable: the lieutenants and military officers familiar with the Elric brothers - Major Armstrong in particular; The family of the late general Brigadier Hughes – Elisha and Gracia; or Edward and Alphonse Elric. Winry desperately hoped her friends would be the guests, not that she disliked the company others had to offer – but the Elrics were her childhood companions. The bond they shared went beyond any other relationship she held dear; except with her aunt Pinako.

The rapping on the door continued in a low, melodious rhythm. _Tappa tappa tap. Tappa tappa tap. Tap tappa tap tap tap tap tap. _Winry looked out the window. The sunset flourished into the room, submerging the workshop in brilliant shades of crimson and orange. The colours inspired Winry's work; the glow not only filling her work area, but also allowing her mind to explore new possibilities towards her mechanical practice. When the incessant knocking on the door appeared to be unrelenting, Winry sighed and dropped her tools.

While striding towards the door, aunt Pinako had reached the door handle to invite the company inside. Instead of being overjoyed by the sight of Edward and Alphonse, Winry was shattered – Ed and Al were physically destroyed. Ed's mechanical limbs were torn from his body; fabric ripped away from his figure – gouged out flesh exposed. Alphonse hardly looked any better; although his arms were still in place, his legs had collapsed underneath him and ripples of broken metal encircled his suit. Winry gasped in shock at the reoccurrence of such a memorable event; Alphonse cradling the injured Edward in his arms, asking for help; rain pelting down heavily on the roof. A cold chill swept through the house rattling the windows as Winry and aunt Pinako dragged the injured Ed and Al through the house, a trail of blood following them. Winry slowly began to remove the tattered clothes left on Ed's body, bathing his wounds deeply with hot water. Aunt Pinako placed Alphonse nearby, waiting for Edward to recover so that he could be restored to his full capacity. The motionless Ed moaned as his injuries were bound tightly. Winry winced as she inspected his missing limbs; the automail would be difficult to replace – absolutely no piece was left for her to repair, and she would have to start from scratch yet again. However, on this occasion she did not yell or whine – she left the boys as they were and went to work creating Ed's new arm and leg.

As she walked into her workshop, she noticed her gadget still sitting on the bench. Before anyone could walk in and inspect it, Winry threw it into the nearest drawer, and set about reconstructing the metallic pieces.

**Edward Elric:**

I woke up in the Rockbell home, screaming in extreme agony. I couldn't remember any of the events that had led to my arrival at Winry's home, however the searing pains in my mechanical limbs had become a reasonably well-established feeling in my emotional vocabulary – my automail was completely obliterated. _What had happened? Why am I like this? Where's Al?_

I turned my head slowly towards the door, to see if my brother was still with me. In the corner, I saw Al's armour was also nearly destroyed. I screamed, the physical and emotional pain boiling to a point of despair. Al turned his head to look at me, and a relief softly nourished my body – he was still there. I had the urge more so now then ever before to return him to his original body, and restore our lives to normal. We were so close to finding the philosopher's stone, I could almost smell the fresh air that would revitalise my first natural form. Recently, I often pondered what Al and I would do after we had finished our quest – our life-long search for what was lost. I wondered if the feeling would be worth it; all the torments, pain and heartache we went through to achieve our goal. _Was it all worth it?_ My mind would immediately ease when I saw Al's soul entrapped in the armour – no joy would outdo seeing Alphonse's face again. He was the only family I had left, and I needed more than anything to fix my mistake. _My mistake. My. Mine. _

I heard the door slowly open as Winry and Aunt Pinako entered the room. The looked at me, seemingly pleased that I was awake and moving. However, my expression didn't change from its grief over the uncertain events that had led to my arrival at the Rockbell estate. Seeing my face must have altered their decision to visit us, because they turned around and left the room suddenly. I looked out the window longingly, waiting for the answers to flood back into my memory. I heard Al's voice whimper, as though he was trying to retell the circumstances.

"What is it Al? What happened to us?" I asked him, turning to look at him once again. I winced as I saw him, unable to see any expression on the cold face of the suit. He seemed to cower, like a small child - which he was, despite his large figure.

"Al? Did… did they come back?" We both knew who I was referring to – the Homunculus. The devilish and monstrous beings that weren't human. Artificially created from the failed experiments of alchemists such as Al and I. Knowing that, we realised the true repercussions of our transmutation efforts. We had created a being from our mother's memories; something that had flesh and blood, but no soul. Not only had our mistake affected us; it seemed that it would soon spread its consequences on a much larger scale.

"Ed… it was mum... we saw mum…" Al trembled with fear, as flashes of memories shot into my mind like bolts of lighting. That woman… I remembered all that had happened up until this point. All the pain and agony, not just physically, but the emotional feelings of seeing her beautiful face plagued with so much anger and spite.

Al and I were in Lior, looking at the devastation of the city. We were sitting on the steps of the temple, when I suddenly felt a searing pain in my stomach. I looked down to see a device of the homunculus – an extending finger – protruding from my flesh, devouring my blood. I fell forward, doubling over from the pain. As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw the woman who would seemingly bring me to death.

In a different context, it would have been ironic – seeing as she was my mother, the woman who had brought me life.

I remember hearing Al squeal at the sight, tricked by the deceitful façade of the woman. She was not our mother; however she was going to play us off to believe that she was. She held her hands out lovingly to Al, who ran into them for comfort and affection. Before either of us had anytime to react, Wrath had leapt behind Al and obliterated his legs. Al collapsed, with nothing to support him upright but his arms. I screamed, glaring hatefully at Wrath. The two beings in front of me were the creations of Sensei and I. Wrath, her unborn child, and the woman, our mother.

"Who are you? How _DARE _you steal her body!" I shouted at her, alchemising my automail and charging forward, intending to hurt the woman standing before me.

"Since you asked, my name is Sloth. Pleased to meet you." She smiled, extending her hand. However, her hand extended over a span of several metres, grabbing my right arm. Her other arm rapidly chased my left leg, and before I realised what had happened, both my automail limbs were entwined with Sloth's lengthy and monstrous fingers. I gasped, aware of what she was about to do and unable to stop it from occurring. As my left arm clutched my stomach, my right arm and left leg were shattered, the force of Sloth's hands obliterating every last piece in the machinery that had created functioning limbs.

As I fell to the ground, I heard gunshots coming from behind Sloth and Wrath. The pain that poured through all the muscles in my body dazzled me. I was only able to see the shapes of two military officers and Al's damaged body before everything went black.

I sat upright in my bed, forgetting about the state of my body and only focussing on the face of that hideously familiar woman. Sloth. In another place; another time; another world – that woman's name was Trisha Elric, our mother. I couldn't believe what we had done. As sensei revealed the truth about the Homunculus' creation, I could not take in any of the words she was mumbling. I was numbed by the feeling of shock – no, the feeling of despair. The emotion that has tormented me since the day of our tragic accident, which intensified with the revelation that Al and I created a soulless being that would resemble our mother. Her figure still plagued my mind, but I was temporarily sidetracked by another thought.

"Al… who saved us from the homunculus in Lior?" I asked, looking over at his broken body, my anguished thoughts of our creation turning into immediate remorse for my little brother. I wanted to thank the military officers who had helped us. _Funny… for once, I'm grateful for the military. Who would have thunked it? _I saw Al look up at me, as if he was wondering when I had noticed him sitting quietly in the shadows. My eyes softened, a small smile creeping along the corners of my mouth, trying to push it upwards into a semi-circle. Al seemed to whimper, and then he let out a loud sigh.

"Brother… It was Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye." Al replied, sighing again and returning his attention to one of the floor tiles that had engaged his interest for the past hour or two. My eyes widened as I gasped with shock. _The Colonel…_I had always despised him, but for once, all I could do was be grateful.

As I thought about the Colonel saving us from Lior, there was a knock on the door. Al and I both looked up, seemingly expecting the Colonel and his first-in-command soldier. However, Winry slowly turned the door handle and entered the room, blooming with what appeared to be Pride.

"What did you do now Winry?" I asked, sighing loudly with irritability evident in my tone of voice. She seemed slightly hurt but unfazed by her determination to show off her latest gadget. She held up a new piece of Automail; shiny, new, light and stylish looking. As she entered the room, aunt Pinako followed behind her holding a new mechanical leg, and I knew what to expect. I began to prepare my mind and my body for what was about to come – the connection of every nerve ending in my arm and leg to the mechanical wires that allowed me to us new limbs.

As I felt the new arm and leg being attached, I screamed in excruciating agony. I lay on the bed, holding back from lashing out from the pain. My body clasped the bed from all directions, finding some comfort from its stiffness. After the procedure was complete, I collapsed in a heap on the mattress, shivering from the pain and chill of the night air. Al constantly asked about my wellbeing, with my repeated answer remaining unchanged – "fine".

"Al, I promise first thing tomorrow morning, I'll fix your body". All my brother could do was agree, and I slowly fell into sleep. However, it was not deep enough to leave me unstirred as a figure entered the room, and I jumped up when I heard the door creak open. Al had obviously heard it too, because we bother trembled softly in the night. As the door completely opened, I began to create a transmutation circle with my hands, large bolts of electricity sparking from my hands. _What the…? _

Before I could stop the alchemic reaction from exploding the guest, the sparks shot off in his direction. A sheet of smoke embraced all the occupants of the room, and as it began to dissipate, I was stunned to see an iron steeled cage surrounding Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye. However, It was not their unexpected arrival, or the time of night they arrived, which had stunned me – it was the amount of power and force I felt in my transmutation circle. It surged through me, boiling overwhelmingly, unable to control the catastrophe that would ensue. I wondered what had happened to me, where all the extra power had come from – and how I could give it back.

**Colonel Roy Mustang:**

The Colonel and his Lieutenant arrived at the Rockbell estate, hoping that the Elric brothers were safe. When he saw the young girl open the door, he stood back in shock. Winry gasped at the visitor; both were well aware of each other and the events that had led to their uneasiness. However, neither was willing to talk about what had happened, and lived in a mutual agreement of silence. The Colonel was unable to respond to Winry, which left the Lieutenant to ask about the boys' well-beings.

"Are the Elric brothers alright? We brought them as fast as we could." Lieutenant Hawkeye asked, trying to ignore the overall tension of the meeting.

"Um… oh! You brought Ed and Al here? Thank you very much for bringing them. You can see them now if you like. Although, they are asleep…" Winry was cut off by the abruptness of the Colonel's actions- he entered the house in search of the brothers, desperate to find out what had happened to them and what those… beings… were.

He burst into the sleeping quarters of the Elrics', watching their stunned expressions trigged by his arrival. Immediately after entering the room, Roy could feel the ground tremble as metal began to protrude from the floorboards - an emotional response from Edward. _Understandably_, Roy thought, as he and Lieutenant Riza stood in the metallic cage. He saw the expression on Edward's face transform from fear into a form of relief, although everyone knew of the tension standing between the two alchemists. Edward clapped his hands together abruptly, his face showing no emotional response. As the bars slowly sifted through the ground, Roy hesitated, waiting for the words to magically escape from his lips. He had wanted answers from the brothers, and decided not to waste any time in emotional frustration or remorse for the Elrics. However, Roy was not expecting the harsh utterance that arose.

"What the _hell _were you two doing in Lior! What were those… those… _THINGS?_" Roy screamed at them, trying to beckon an answer for all his questions. He heard Riza's footsteps behind him. A wave of fear swept over him, worried about the Lieutenant's reaction to his angry and fierce persona. They both knew that no matter how serious the situation was, the boys had both suffered immensely; such a tender age to face the ferocity and terror that they have seen.

Roy was immediately struck with a feeling of guilt and remorse, but unable to take back his words, he waited eagerly for some sort of response. In the darkness of the night, the moon emitted an eerie glow across the room that highlighted parts of Edward and Alphonse's faces. Although Alphonse's expression would always remain motionless, Roy could see Edward's face contort slightly – the horror of the events chilling him and frightening him. Roy was pained by what he saw, reopening the boys psychological wounds. Edward's figure started to convulse; an action that appealed to the Lieutenant's motherly nature. The woman rushed over to the boy, enveloping him in her arms and attempting to nurse away the inner demons that plagued his recent memories.

Roy watched the events unravel before him, hanging his head in both shame and despair. He was moved, however, at the soft words that abruptly escaped Edward's lips.

"Rose?" he asked gently. The Colonel and the Lieutenant equally knew that the soft timbre of his voice came from fear, not a feeling of calmness or tranquillity. "What happened to Rose?"

Roy extracted the experiences of Lior from his memory with extreme accuracy – the in depth detail of the events tormented his mind as though he were reliving it. Through all the actions, all the observations that he could recall from the town, Roy did not recall finding any woman named Rose- Lior was isolated at the time of their arrival save for the presence of the Elric brothers and the Homunculus.

"Edward… when we arrived… there were no other people in town except you and Al…" Riza's voice trailed off, deliberately omitting the mention of the artificial beings. Roy appreciated the Lieutenant's help – she often rescued him from difficult circumstances or situations. Roy shuffled his feet uncomfortably, unsure of the adolescent's reaction; whether it was fear, anger or grief, the Colonel was unready for any outburst Edward might create. However, nothing would prepare him for the sudden laughter of both Edward and Alphonse Elric.

"She always could take care of herself, right brother?" Alphonse murmured softly.

"Yeah, she would always weasel herself out of trouble. She's a fighter," Edward agreed through a gentle whisper. The harsh tension, which had previously engulfed the room now dissipated, leaving the Elrics vulnerable to the Colonel's recount of the events leading up to that point in time. The occupants had forgotten about the early hour of morning in which they met – the moon acting as their light; their guide away from the darkness. Riza and Roy sat silently at the end of Edward's bed, as Alphonse shifted himself slightly to face the discussion. They all knew this was going to be a long night – or morning - talking about Lior, Rose, the Homunculus, what they would do next: everything.

Edward had fallen back into the comfort of his mattress, opening his ears, but not his eyes, to the Colonel's story. Roy fidgeted slightly aware of the sudden pressure and attention that had been placed on him. As he sat uneasily, the Lieutenant prodded him sharply in the leg. He knew that the harsh gesture was a representation of her best interests – he needed to retell the events quickly and precisely to reduce the Elrics' torment and grief over the foggy experiences in Lior. Roy cleared his throat roughly before speaking, procrastinating for a couple of seconds as he explored his vocabulary for the right words to begin his narration.

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Author: VanillA Shade


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